Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck was selected first overall in the NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night.

Six weeks after releasing four-time MVP Peyton Manning, the Colts took a player many believe is the most NFL-ready passer since Manning was the No. 1 overall choice in 1998.

Luck is the fourth Stanford quarterback taken first overall, the last being John Elway in 1983. Coincidentally, Elway now runs the Denver Broncos, for whom he won two Super Bowls, and recently signed Manning as a free agent after Manning missed all of last season following neck surgery.

Luck got the nod in the draft over Baylor QB Robert Griffin III, who beat out Luck for the Heisman Trophy in December. Griffin was chosen second by Washington.

The Cleveland Browns took Alabama running back Trent Richardson with the No. 3 pick, trading three selections to Minnesota to move up one spot. The Vikings then selected USC left tackle Matt Kalil.

The Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to select Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon with the fifth pick. The Jaguars gave up a fourth-round selection to swap spots with Tampa Bay.

The Dallas Cowboys selected LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne with the sixth pick after making a trade to move up eight spots in the first round. Dallas moved up from No. 14, giving that pick and their second-round pick (45th overall) to St. Louis.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took Alabama safety Mark Barron with the seventh pick.

The Miami Dolphins have finally used a first-round pick on a quarterback, taking Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill with the eighth choice. Tannehill became the first QB selected in the opening round by the Dolphins since 1983 when they drafted Dan Marino.

The Carolina Panthers selected linebacker Luke Kuechly from Boston College with the ninth pick, hoping to bolster a defense which finished 28th in the league last season.

At the 10th spot, Buffalo went with South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

The Kansas City Chiefs selected Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe, filling one of their biggest needs with one of the biggest gambles in the draft. The Chiefs went with the 6-foot-4, 346-pound tackle with the No. 11 pick after his impressive performance at the scouting combine. The massive Poe pushed 44 reps with 225 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in an unofficial time of 4.98 seconds.

The Philadelphia Eagles traded up three spots to select Mississippi State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox with the No. 12 pick. The Eagles sent their first-round pick (15th), a fourth (114th) and a sixth (172) to Seattle to get Cox.

The Arizona Cardinals drafted wide receiver Michael Floyd of Notre Dame with the 13th pick.

Backed into a corner by the mad shuffling ahead of them, the St. Louis Rams added a big body to the defensive line by taking LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers with the 14th pick. The Rams appeared poised to take Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon with the sixth pick, then traded down eight spots after Jacksonville moved up to snatch Blackmon with the fifth pick. The Rams received the Cowboys' second-round pick in that deal, leaving them with three of the first 13 picks in the second round, including the first pick of day two.

West Virginia linebacker Bruce Irvin was taken 15th by Seattle and North Carolina defensive tackle Quinton Coples went 16th to the New York Jets. The Bengals next chose Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick.

Melvin Ingram, South Carolina defensive end, was the 18th selection going to the San Diego Chargers.